Crutch tip



Feb. 2, 1954 'R E I 2,667,885

CRUTCH TIP Filed Feb. 14, 1951 Mike Prefe INVENTOR.

Patented Feb. 2, 1954 UNI TE!) PATENT "OFFICE "ORUTQH TIP Mike Prete, Wichita,.Kans.

Application February 14, 1951, Serial No.'-21-0';834

This invention relates to improvements in crutch attachments.

An object of this inventionis to provide an improvedstructure, constituting a-tip of a crutch,

which tip serves as anextension of the. crutch providing a rod slidablydisposed in the bore and counterbore of a sleeve, the rod being yieldingly opposed in its sliding movement in one direction whereby the rod is retracted when unlatched.

Ancillary objects and features of importance will become apparent in following the description of the illustrated form of the invention.

In the drawings:

Figure l is a fragmentary elevational view of a crutch having the attachment thereon;

Figure 2 is a longitudinal sectional view of a part of the structure shown in Figure 1;

Figure 3 is a transverse view taken on the line 33 of Figure 2;

Figure 4 is a transverse view taken on the line 4-4 of Figure 2; and,

Figure 5 is a plan view of a retainer used in conjunction with the assembly to hold the spring in place within the counterbore of the illustrated sleeve.

There is a fragmentary part of a crutch I0 illustrated, being the lower end thereof. A cylindrical aperture I2 opens through the bottom of the lower end of the crutch and is adapted to receive a part of the rod I4 when the rod is raised fully.

The attachment I6 consists of a sleeve I8 having a bore 20 therein, together with a counterbore 22 in axial alignment with the bore and at the lower end of the sleeve. The upper end of the sleeve is provided with a cup-shaped portion or pocket 24 in which the lower end of the crutch Is is adapted to be disposed and held fast by friction, gluing or fastening by other standard means.

A vertical slot 28 (Figure 1) is provided in one wall of the sleeve I8 and opens into the bore 20. Lateral keeper slots 3i, 32 and 33 extend from the slot 28 and are adapted to accommodate the keeper pin 34 which is threaded or otherwise rigidly fixed to the rod I4.

By the immediately preceding described structure the rod I4 may be latched in selected extended positions with respect to the sleeve I8. By disposing the locking pin 34 in any of the laterally extending slots 3|, 32 and 33, the extent of projection of the rod I4 from the sleeve is controlled.

A keeper plate 36 is located in a groove 38 pro- 2 Claims. (01. 13559) --vide'd in-Lthe wall :of the sleeve t IL8 "definingthe counterbore :22. This keeper plateisheld ;in vplace-bythe retainer r-i-ng 40 (Figure'5) :which .is located ina groovef42. formed within the groove -38. Thereisua shoulder 44 at the junctionaof .the groove.:38 andtthe counterbore v22 .having the .plate :36 bearing :thereagainst, thereby .pre- .venting the plate .236 from :moving :inwardly of the counterbore 22.

Means yieldingly opposing the sliding movement of the rod I4 in one direction is provided within the counterbore 22. The preferable means consists of a standard coil spring 46 which is seated upon the plate 36 whereby it reacts on the sleeve I8, and which contacts a keeper flange or pin 50 fixed to the rod I4 intermediate its upper and lower ends.

A tip 54 is provided with a passage 56 through which the rod I4 is adapted to pass and is fitted on the lower end of the sleeve I8. When the rod I4 is fully retracted with respect to the sleeve I8 the sharp end portion 58 thereof is pulled entirely within the rubber tip 54 so that normal operation of the crutch will not be altered. The rod and therefore the sharpened end portion 58 may be extended only slightly from the lower ground engaging surface of the tip 54 by moving the pin 34 into the laterally extending slot 32. When this adjustment takes place, the spring 46 opposes the movement of the rod I4 inasmuch as it is compressed slightly. To extend the rod I4 the full amount, the pin 34 is disposed in the lowermost laterally extending slot 33 thereby compressing the spring 46 further. When it is desired to return the rod I4, the pin 34 is moved downwardly a slight amount to remove from the land at the upper edge of the laterally extending slot 33 and then moved rotatively with respect to the longitudinal axis of the sleeve I8. This movement causes the pin 34 to enter the vertical slot 28 and the stored energy in the spring 46 pushes the rod I4 upwardly until the upper end thereof is disposed in the aperture I2 of the lower end of the crutch I0.

Having described the claimed as new is:

1. In a crutch, an attachment arranged to constitute a lower extension thereof, said attachment including a sleeve having a rod slidably disposed therein and extensible through one open end of said sleeve, means for locking releasably said rod in a plurality of selected extended positions with respect to said sleeve, a resilient tip surrounding the lower end of said sleeve and invention, what is extending below the lower end of said sleeve, said tip having a passage therein through which said rod is operable, said sleeve having a counterbore at its lower end, a spring located in said counterbore, removable means attached to said sleeve and disposed in said counterbore constituting a seat for one end of said spring, and means carried by said rod forming a seat for the other end of said spring so that said spring opposes the movement of said rod in one direction, said sleeve including a shoulder spaced inwardly of said lower end, said removable means comprising a flat, centrally apertured disc seating against said shoulder, said sleeve having an annular groove spaced below said shoulder and a retainer ring seating in said groove and maintaining said disc in engagement with the shoulder, the removal of said disc permitting the removal of said rod and spring.

2. An attachment for a crutch, said attachment comprising a sleeve having a bore therethrough opening into a counterbore at one end of said sleeve, means at the other end of said sleeve for holding the lower end of a crutch, a rod slidably disposed in said bore and counterbore, means connected with said rod and said sleeve for locking said rod in selected positions with respect to said sleeve, a spring located in said counterbore, means attached to said rod constituting a seat for one end of said spring, removable means attached to said sleeve and disposed in said counterbore constituting a seat for the other end of said spring so that said spring opposes movement of the rod in one direction, said sleeve including a shoulder spaced inwardly of said lower end, said removable means comprising a flat centrally apertured disc seating against said shoulder, said sleeve having an annular groove spaced below said shoulder and a retainer ring seating in said groove and maintaining said disc in engagement with the shoulder whereby the removal of the rod and spring may be effected by the removal of the disc.

MIKE PRETE.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 51,677 Allamby et al Dec. 26, 1865 57,416 Ware Aug. 21, 1866 973,283 Lofi'in Oct. 18, 1910 1,285,836 Sutherland Nov. 26, 1918 2,371,246 McGrory et al. Mar. 13, 1945 2,480,382 Pagliuso Aug. 30, 1949 

